In this exclusive interview with Living Gulf, Samina Selena Minhas, a Dubai-based educator discusses how her platform, She Knows Best, creates a safe space where women can connect, share experiences, and find reassurance through collective wisdom.
Your platform, She Knows Best, is rooted in your own experiences of feeling isolated in Dubai. Can you take us back to that moment when the idea first took shape, and what emotional gap you were trying to fill?
The idea of SKB came to me during a period when my life looked full and busy, but I felt profoundly lonely and empty inside. Dubai is an extraordinary city but it can also be emotionally transient. It’s common that friendships shift, communities change and many people are quietly rebuilding their sense of belonging all over again.
I realised it wasn’t a lack of opportunities or social spaces. I was lacking in emotional, feminine honesty and friendship. I started wondering how many women were carrying questions, fears or experiences they felt unable to voice. She Knows Best was born from that realisation. I wanted to create the kind of space I personally needed at that time. Ideally somewhere a woman could openly say, “I’m struggling,” without any judgement or shame.
Dubai is often seen as vibrant and socially dynamic, yet many residents quietly struggle with loneliness due to its transient nature. Why do you think connection can feel so elusive here, especially for women?
Dubai moves incredibly quickly, and many residents are continuously rebuilding their social circles. For women I know that meaningful connection can take longer to form. Social media can also create the illusion that everyone else has already found their community, which makes loneliness feel like a personal failure rather than a shared experience. I believe that loneliness here is rarely about being alone but more about not feeling fully understood despite being surrounded by lots of people.
One of the most distinctive aspects of She Knows Best is its emphasis on anonymity. Why is anonymity so powerful when it comes to sharing personal struggles, and what kinds of conversations does it unlock that might not happen otherwise?
Anonymity removes performance. When a person’s identity is protected, I have seen women speak with complete and total honesty. They talk about marriage doubts, fertility struggles, financial pressures, identity crises, friendship breakdowns, mental health challenges and questions they might never voice to friends, colleagues or even close family. Many women tell SKB that it is the first time they have ever said something out loud, even anonymously. That moment really matters and it shifts shame into shared understanding. The concept of anonymity allows vulnerability without consequence. It creates psychological safety, and as a result, deeply meaningful conversations emerge.
Your platform is built on women supporting women through lived experience rather than professional advice. How do you balance the value of shared experiences with the responsibility of ensuring that advice remains safe and constructive?
I have been very intentional about framing She Knows Best as a space for perspective rather than a formal prescription. The female contributors share experiences not instructions or a one-size-fits-all approach. The aspect of moderation plays an important role too. All the submissions and responses are reviewed to ensure conversations remain respectful, empathetic and responsible. When topics require professional expertise, women are encouraged to seek qualified support from experts who align with the SKB mission. I have always said that lived experience means relatability. I know that women often feel less alone when they realise someone else has walked a similar path. The goal at SKB is not to replace professional guidance but rather to complement it by restoring human connection and emotional reassurance.
Alongside running She Knows Best, you work within the education sector. How has your experience in education shaped your understanding of wellbeing, especially among young women navigating identity, pressure and belonging?
Young girls today are growing up in an environment of constant comparison and visibility. I see it first-hand. They are navigating academic expectations, social pressures and digital exposure simultaneously. What stands out is just how early on feelings of self-doubt and belonging begin. By working in education, I feel lucky that I can advocate for emotional literacy and safe spaces. When young people feel heard, they thrive not only academically but personally. She Knows Best, in many ways, extends that same philosophy into adulthood. The need to feel understood does not disappear with age. It simply becomes less openly discussed.
In a digital world filled with curated lives and social comparison, many women feel they are falling behind or not ‘doing enough’. What patterns or concerns do you see emerging most frequently on your platform?
Comparison is the thief of joy. On SKB, women often believe they are the only ones questioning their careers, relationships, friendships or life timelines. So many of the submissions on SKB revolve around uncertainty rather than crisis. Questions that often pop up are “Am I choosing the right path?” “Why does everyone else seem settled?” and “Is it normal to feel lost?”. There is also a growing desire for authenticity. The women who use SKB are increasingly tired of narratives that push for perfection. Instead, they seek spaces where complexity is allowed and platforms where success and struggle can coexist.
You’ve also recently been shortlisted as a semi-finalist for Miss Universe Pakistan. How do you reconcile the visibility of pageantry with the deeply private, anonymous nature of your platform?
For me, they are both deeply connected. Through pageantry, I am given opportunities to find my voice and the confidence to use it publicly. She Knows Best exists to help other women find theirs, even if they choose to remain unseen. I see my role as using my visibility to represent voices and struggles with mental health that often go unheard. Pageantry allows me to amplify the message, while She Knows Best protects the women behind it. As more women share their stories, individual voices begin to form a choir, and She Knows Best becomes the symphony that holds those voices together.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for She Knows Best? Do you see it evolving beyond a digital platform into something more tangible within communities or even educational spaces?
The long-term vision is to bring the emotional safety of She Knows Best into as many physical spaces as possible. I see it evolving into community conversations, workshops and collaborations with educational institutions and charities. Online platforms allow connection across distance, but ultimately, human connection deepens when people feel safe enough to gather, listen and share. It is not about growing for the sake of scale but making an impact for the sake of community.
